Expanded sheet metal



March 22 19627" H. M. GERSMAN EXPANDED SHEET METAL Filed June I. 1923 lli 4. ,V uw

Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

siren STATES HARVEY M. GERSMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

j EXPANDED SHEET METAL.

Application filed .Tune 1, 1923.

The objects of the invention, briefly stated, are to provide expanded sheet metal which shall have highly effective clinching properties while at the same time reducing the loss of plaster by seepage. which shall be of less weight, considering the voids size for size, than expanded sheet metal of the ordinary form, which shall be stiffer and better capableof withstanding the pressure incident to the application of plaster than expanded sheet metal of the ordinary form,

' and which may be made to provide self furl-ing effects, thereby to eliminate the necessity of the ordinary furring strips.

The webs or junction portions by which the strands are connected are, of course, arranged in rows and according` to the present invention the junction portions are arranged to lic flat or substantially so, that is to say substantially symmetrically angular, relatively to the mean plane of the sheet and the sheet is longitudinally corrugated whereby the strandsextend from the junction portions at an angle to said mean plane.

Another feature of the invention consists in an arrangement of the corrugations whereby the sheet-is similarly formed on both fac-es. Another feature consists in the arrangement of the corrugations, whereby the parallel rows'of junction portions are alternately offset relatively to the mean plane of the sheet.

The invention also provides a novel relation between the junction portions and the strands which involves a transversely concave formation of the junction portions and makes it possible to secure greater expansion without impairment of the strength of the strands or the security of their unionwith the junction portions."

The above features and details of structure appartenant thereto'are set forth"y at lengthV in the following' description. Fa;-

Seral No. 642,870.

pauded sheet metal in which the features of the invention are incorporated is illustrated, in a lpreferred embodiment, in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figures 1 and 2 are, respectively, plan and edge views of the blank.

Figure 8 is a detailed plan view of the ex.- panded sheet metal produced from the blank of Figure 1. Figures i and 5 are detail sectional views in theV planes 4 4 and 55, respectively, of Figure 3. y

lnl all cases the strands 11 and the webs or connecting portions 12 delimithexagonal cells or voids 13 and, as in the ordinary expanded metallic lathing, the hexagonal form of the cells is such that they are arranged in parallel rows whose axes are normal to and bisect the parts 12 as will appear by the alternately arranged broken lines A and B.

rlhe blank from which the expanded metal is produced is provided with slits which aline in the direction of their length and are thereby arranged in rows disposed transversely of the sheet, the slits of one row being arranged in staggered or break-joint position relatively to the. slits of adjacent rows; and the webs or junction portions of the expanded metal are substantially provided by the material which lies between the ends of the adjacent slits of the rows and between the alining slits of the alternate rows,

The expanded metal is formed with corrugations which are normal to the transverse rows of slits and in the preferred embodiment disclosed are arranged whereby the rows of junction portions, these forming the apices of the corrugations, are offset alternately at opposite sides of the mean plane of the sheet. The corrugations are preferably formed in the blank which is expanded in the usual manner to produce the finished metal, the strands which project from each junction portion being pulled laterally outward relatively to one another. Consequent to the corrugation and the expansion of the blank the webs will be more or less flat, that is to say symmetrically angular relatively to the mean plane of the sheet, accordingly as the ends of the slits in the blank lie near to lines C through the longitudinal centers of the webs, that is to say the cent-ral axes of the webs at right angles to the axes of the rows A and B. The best results are obtained by having the central portions of thewebs rows at' the saine side of the sheet in a coinmon plane and for this purpose the ends ot the slits 1n the blank ternnnate in coincidence with the longitudinal centers ot the webs.

However, results substantially better in degree than is possible with expanded lathing ot the ordinary construction may be obtained, within the scope and contemplation ot the invention, in various cases where the webs or junction portions lie at an angle to their in'ean planes, the value ot the results increasing with the approach ot the central portions ot' the junction portions to exact co-planar relation. Y

l/Vhile very good results inay be obtained in cases where the webs or junction portions are truly li'atthroughout their extent, the best results are obtained where, as shown, the junction portions are substantially tlat, tha'tf is" to say symmetrically angular relatively to the inean plane ot the sheet while yet being slightly concave in the transverse direction ot the sheet2 that is to say the direction at right angles to the rows A and B, and the' slits are extended slightly at their ends into concave areas in which the junction portions are included. Stated other wise', in order to secure the best results, the sheet is provided with shallow ininor corrugations parallel and inverse to the corrugations above described and these ininor corrugations arel torined along the junction portions, the ends ot the slits being` extended sligthly into the minor corrugations. The ininor corrugations are incorporated in the blank and are indicated at 14. in Figure 2. In connection with the extension the ends ot the slits into the corrugations ist, these latter are effective as the blank is expanded to provide for the 'formation ot ridges l5 in' the strands closely adjacent their lines ot unionA with the junction portions and extending in the transverse direction ol the strands. In each pair ot adjoining strands which'Y extend troni the saine junction portions the ridges l5 increase in height troni their ine'ain to their extreine ends and, being thus produced by the detorination ot the strands consequent to the expansion .ot the blank, prevent the development of stresses incident to such expansion which inight otherwise result in the partial rupture ot the strands along their lines ot union with the junction portions. lt follows that by virtue of the ininor corrugations 14 the slits may' be inade longer with resultant larger voids in the expanded nietal than would otherwisebe possible. In this way" a greater degree ot expansion with a consequent reduction in weight is secured while at the saine tiine the strength ot the expanded metal sheet is not inipaired. In tact the ridges l5 serve as" reinforcements tor the ands and tend to' increase the stiiiness and pressur resisting quality or" the sheet, while the'thiiist neeneefl resisting areaA oi the junction portions is not substantially reduced.

Expanded sheet inetal embodying the teatures ot the invention may be produced from a blank ot the saine initial torni that is use-d tor the production ot expanded sheet inetal as heretofore known, that is to say, a blank having straight slits whose ends coincide with the longitudinal central lines o t the webs. These features are shown in Figures l and 2 which also show the blank as corrugated in accordance with the invention. By virtue ot what rnay be terined the nia-jor corrugations the webs ot rows B lie in an upper plane and the webs of rows A lie in a lower plane. By virtue ot the minor corrugations Il the webs are transversely concave to a slight degree. The length ot' the slits is such that they are extended slightly at their ends into the ininor eorrugations lll.

T he inajor corrugations are maintained in the expanded lathing and, with the end of the slits coincident with central longitudinal axes of the webs` the webs are maintained in relatively the saine planes as in the' blank, the pull ot the strands being equali'zed at both ends ot the webs.

ln the expanded sheet the strands extend in inclined or angular directions athwart the inean plane ot the sheet and present the greatest eiiective area to resist the thrusts incident to the application ot the plaster. This will be apparent when it is considered that the planes ot the strand-s substantial-ly coincide with lines parallel to the axes ot the rowsvA and B in the mean plane of the sheet. The depths ot theV lnajor corrugations will be such as to insure good clinching and keying eitects while at the saline tiine all, or nearly all, of the area. or" the webs and the strands is utilized to resist the thrusts incident to the application of the plaster, thereby av iding` cutting through the plaster and minimizing the loss and waste ot plaster by seepage. It desired the inajor corrugations inay be inade suiiicientlyv deep to serve as turring strips at either side ot' the: sheet, a seit turring quality being thereby provided.

It will be understood that the arrangernent ot the end 0i' the slits in coincidence with theeentral longitudinal lines C of the webs is a preferred but not an indispensable feature otl the invention and that superior enects are, in any case, obtained by the arrangement o't' the rows of webs to' lie`l alternately at opposite sides of the nie'an piane of the sheet, with the webs presented more or less flat. j

t will. ot course, be understood that' the greater the surface area of the sheet oecupied by the webs and the strands the less will be the number ot vo-ids perv unit ot area and llienee'the less will be the `weight of the sheet per unit ot' area. Consequently the present invention, provi-ding as it does for an incre-ase of the surface area of the sheet occupied by the webs and strands, enables a material saving in the amountot metal required tor the production of a given area of expanded lathing. It will also be undern stood that while it is preferred to provide the minor corrugations 14 the invention is not to be regarded as limited to the provision of such corrugations since good results may be secured in cases where they are not employed.

In connection with the appended claims it will be un-derstood that the transverse direction of the sheet is taken as being the same as the longitudinal direction ol' the voids, i. e., the direction ot the slits in the blank, and the longitudinal direction ot the sheet is taken as being the direction at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the voids.

Having fully described my invention, l claim:

l. Expanded sheet metal having strands and junction portions delimiting hexagonal voids wherein the voids and junction portions are disposed in rows extending longitudinally of the sheet and the sheet is longitudinally corrugated, the strands by v irtue of the corrugations extending from the junction portions at an angle to the mean plane of the sheet and the junction portions being transversely concave relatively to the tace of the sheet to which they are presented and also being substantially symmetrically angie lar relatively to said meanplane.

2. Expanded sheet metal having strands and junction portions delimiting hexagonal voids wherein the voids and junction portions are disposed in rows extending longitudinally ot the sheet and the sheet is longitudinally corrugated and by virtue ot the corrugations is similarly formed on both sides, the strands by Virtue of the corrugations extending from the junction portions at an angle to the mean plane of the sheet and the junction portions being transversely concave relatively to the face of the sheet to which they are presented and also being substantially symmetrically angular relatively to said mean plane.

3. Expanded sheet metal having strands and junction portions delimiting hexagonal voids wherein the junction portions are disposed in rows which extend longitudinally of the sheet and such rows are alternately otlset at opposite sides of the mean plane of the sheet and said junction portions are also transversely concave relatively to the face of the sheet to which they are presented.

4. Expanded sheet metal having strands and junction portions delimiting hexagonal voids wherein the junction portions are disposed in rows which extend longitudinally of the sheet and such rows are alternately oitset at opposite sides ot the mean plane of the sheet and the junction portions in at least one of the otlset planes are transversely concave relatively to the face ot the sheet to which they are presented.

5. Expanded sheet metal produced :trom a blank having slits in parallel transverse rows with the slits of one row in break-joint position relatively to the slits ot the adjacent rows and corrugated longitudinally, whereby to otliset the longitudinal rows of junction portions alternately at opposite sides of the mean plane of the sheet, the angle oit the junction portions relatively to said mean plane being determined by and in accordance with the proximity of the ends ot the slits to the central longitudinal axes of the junction portions.

6. Expanded sheet metal produced from a longitudinally corrugated blank having slits in parallel transverse rows with the slits of one row in break-joint position relatively to the slits of the adjacent rows and the ends ot the slits terminating in line with the central longitudinal axes of the junction portions and the corrugations formed and arranged whereby to offset the junction portions alternately at opposite sides of the mean plane o1 the sheet7 the junction portions also being transversely corrugated and the slits extending slightly at their ends into the corrugations ot the junction portions.

7. Expanded sheet instal having strands and junction portions delimiting hexagonal voids wherein the voids and junction portions are disposed in rows extending longitudinally of the sheet and the junction portions are transversely concave while the strands have ridges transversely thereto and extending closely adjacent their lines ot union with the junction portions.

8. Expanded sheet metal having strands and junction portions delimiting hexagonal voids wherein the unctiou portions are disV posed in rows which extend longitudinally or' the sheet and such rows are alternately offset at opposite sides of the mean plane ot the sheet, the junction portions being transversely concave and the strands having ridges transverse thereto and extending closely adjacent their lines of union with the junction portions.

9. Expanded sheet metal produced from a blank having slits in parallel transverse rows with the slits of one row in break-joint position relatively to the slits of the adjacent rows a-nd corrugated longitudinally -so as to odset the longitudinal rows of junction portions alternately at opposite sides of the means plane of the sheet, the blank also having corrugations along the junction portions inverse and parallel to the corrugations first named and having the ends of the slits extending slightly into the inversely corrugated portions.

llO

10. Expanded sheet metal having strands and junction portions delimiting hexagonal voids wherein the voids and junction portions are disposed in rows extending longitudinally of the sheet and the she-et is longi- V tudinally corrugated, the stra-nds by virtue of the corrugations extendingfrom the une tion portionsat an angle to the mean plane of the sheet and the junction portions having their angle to the mean plane of the sheet determined by and in accordance with the degree of proximity of the ends of the voids to lines longitudinally central ot' said junction portions.

11. Expanded sheet metal having strands and junction portions delimiting hexagonal voids wherein the voids and junction portions are disposed in rows extending longitudinally of the sheet and the sheet is lon gitudinally Corrugated, the strands hy virtue of the corrugations ezfitending` 'from the junetion portions at anY angle to the mean plane of the sheet and the junction portions heiiig transversely concave relatively to the tace of the sheet to which they are presented and having their angle to the mean plan-e of the sheet determined by and in accordance with the degree of proximity of t-he ends ot the voids to lines longitudinally central of said junction portions.

1Q. Expanded sheet metal having strands and junction portions deliiniting hexagonal voids wherein the voids. and junction portions are disposed in rows exten-dingv longitudinally of the sheet and the sheet is longitudinally corrugated, the strands extending` from the junction portions at an angle to the mean plane of the sheet and havi p ridges transversely thereto and extending' closely adjacent their lines of union with the junction portions.

13. Expanded sheet metal having strands and junction portions delimiting heizagenal voids wherein the voids and junction portions are disposed in rows extending llongitudinally of the sheet and the she-et is longitudinally corrugated, the strands being' bent laterally from the junction portions and by virtue oi' the corrugations extending at an angle to the mean plane ot the sheet. the strands lying in planes which suhstantialiy coincide with lines parallel to the axes in the mean plane of the she-et ot' the rows oi junction portions and voids.

In testimony whereof l afiix my signature.

nanvnr M. Gassner. 

